1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a conveyor belt roller support system and more particularly, to a replacement roller support bracket for repairing a conveyor roller support system in an efficient and easy way.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conveyor belt systems are used in a wide variety of industries, such as the mining industry, food industry, and packaging industry, to transport materials from one location to another. Generally, rubber conveyor belts rest on a series of idler rollers, that are mounted to roller supports formed integrally or welded to a base. Depending on the type of conveyor belt, there may be a V shaped roller array incorporating three support brackets or a horizontal roller array between two wing roller supports and two intermediate supports. In the mining industry, the wear and tear of transporting large, heavy quantities of material leads to damage of the roller supports, more often the interior or center roller support. Replacing the roller support brackets generally requires removing the whole conveyor belt roller support frame, which requires substantial time due to its size and weight of the roller support system.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,210,344 discloses a frame adapter assembly for repair of a belt conveyor assembly that includes a frame adapter body having a top surface and a bottom bearing surface for at least partially contacting a surface of the belt conveyor frame, at least one bracket extending from the top surface of the frame adapter body for operatively engaging at least a portion of a shaft of one roller, and at least one attachment arrangement for removably or permanently attaching the frame adapter assembly to a portion of the existing belt conveyor frame. The frame adapter assembly disclosed in the '344 patent is bulky and includes unnecessary parts.
The prior art to date does not disclose a simple replacement roller support bracket that uses only the necessary amount of material to provide adequate support and alignment. Furthermore, the prior art to date does not disclose a cost and time efficient replacement roller support bracket that is easy to install. None of the prior art can be combined in this way to suggest these necessary modifications. There is no teaching, suggestion, or motivation that would have enabled a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify any prior art system to incorporate all of these features.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a replacement roller support bracket that is efficient and easy to install.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a replacement roller support bracket that eliminates unnecessary material while providing a snug fit and proper alignment of the conveyor rollers.